


Pronouns are Hard

by FelicityGS



Series: Space Princes of the Galaxy [9]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Gender, Jotun Loki, Kid Fic, Misgendering, gender discussion, jotun headcanons, peter is really so fucking sweet it hurts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-25
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-14 09:47:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2187102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelicityGS/pseuds/FelicityGS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter is <em>pretty sure</em> Loki is a he. Right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pronouns are Hard

**Author's Note:**

> This is too cute for words. That's all.

"Where's zie at, anyway?" Yondu asks without looking up.

Peter frowns. Yondu's talking about Loki, he knows that, but he's not really sure what 'zie' means, just that sometimes people use that instead of he or she. Loki doesn't use it, though, at least Peter doesn't _think_ so...

"Our room. He said he was tired."

"After all that food, I'm surprised zie didn't fall asleep at the table." Yondu shakes his head. Peter wants to ask him why he used zie; Loki definitely looks like a boy, but he's not sure how to. Sometimes Yondu gets irritated when Peter asks questions that aren't about the ship or being a Ravager--sometimes even then.

Maybe he'll just ask Loki. That seems safer, really.

***

Peter doesn't ask anyone. It seems kind of awkward, it's been almost three weeks since Loki arrived.

***

Yondu isn't the only who refers to Loki as zie though--Peter overhears some of the other crew talking about the frost giant and using the word.

Maybe Loki wouldn't tell him if he was using the wrong words? Maybe Loki doesn't know, it's not like people talk _about_ him while he's around--just _to_ him. Zir?

Peter _really_ doesn't want to have been upsetting Loki all this time. He _likes_ the other kid, likes having someone to talk to before he falls asleep and while they haven't really _adventured_ yet, he's _sure_ that's going to happen in the future. But it won't if Loki hates him because Peter's been calling him the wrong thing.

Words and names are _important_. Yondu's always telling him that--it's not stealing, it's re-purposing. Or relocating? He forgets. But if Loki's zie and not he, Peter wants to know.

***

"Um. Do you use he or she?"

Okay, it's not how Peter wanted to ask, but Peter gives himself a mental pat on the back for _asking_ , because he hasn't been able to think of a better way.

Loki doesn't look mad, just confused. Peter can deal with confused. They're laying in bed and they're _supposed_ to be sleeping, but they're docking in a few hours and have been talking about all the stuff they're hoping to see. It's really now or never--if Loki _is_ mad then Peter wants to know before they get to the port and possible adventure. He can fix it now, but once they touch down it'll be too late. What if Loki decides to leave?

"Both?" Loki finally says, but he sounds as confused as Peter has been.

"You can't use both though."

"Oh." Loki frowns, rolling over onto his side so he can look at Peter. Peter does the same, so they're mostly face to face. "What's the difference?"

"Uh... Well, he is for guys and she is for girls. There's also zie, but I don't know what it means. Maybe that's for both?"

"I'm a Jotun," Loki says, like that explains _everything_.

"I know."

"We don't _have_ boys or girls. We just use one word. I thought all those words meant the same."

"They don't."

"How am I supposed to know which one to use then?" Loki's eyebrows are climbing up, stretching his kyne lines nearly straight.

"Uh." Peter isn't actually sure. He never really knew on Earth, just knew that girls were girls. He never got far enough in school to find out _why_ some people were boys and some were girls, and he's pretty sure he wouldn't have paid attention _anyway_. His mom had always said he was a boy, and it's not like he ever saw a girl without her clothes to know what the difference was. Maybe parents just picked while their kid was still in the belly, like names? "I guess pick one?"

"How should I pick though? Is one better than the other?"

"He's usually get treated better. At least that I've seen." Peter knows that some people think Loki should be thrown out, and maybe if they thought he was a boy and not a zie (whatever that is), they wouldn't be as ready to do so. And he knows that Andara in medical would totally box his ears if she had heard him say that, but it's _true_. He's heard how the guys talk about Andara, and it makes him uncomfortable and he _really_ doesn't want anyone talking about _Loki_ that way. "But you don't have to pick that one, if you don't want."

Loki shrugs.

"If you think he is better, then I'll use that. I don't care. It's confusing."

"Okay."

***

They go on deck the next day before they get to port. Loki announces that he's a he. Yondu just eyes Peter for a second and Peter tries to look innocent until Yondu rolls his eyes and says good for Loki, now can _he_ get the fuck out of the way.

Loki takes this to mean they should go to the kitchens while no one is there; Peter agrees wholeheartedly. They've got an _adventure_ to prepare for.


End file.
